Infants are often carried by hand and in the car in an infant seat or carrier which has a frame defining at its top an upwardly-facing opening. When in the seat, the infant is exposed to the elements-sun, wind and cold. In the cold weather, it is thus necessary to bundle the infant in a snowsuit or similar garment, which increases the difficulty of traveling with the infant, and can also make the infant too hot while in the car. Further, the infant retaining strap of the car seat must be loosened to accommodate a heavily dressed infant, and then re-adjusted when the infant is dressed normally.
Infant seat covers have been developed in attempt to address these problems. Two such covers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,946,221, and 5,309,586. However, the latter is simply a total cover which must be removed when the infant is out of the elements (e.g., buckled into the car seat). The former has an opening, to allow the infant to breathe easily, and to see and be seen. However, the opening also admits the elements which are desired to be blocked, thus decreasing the usefulness of that cover. Any such cover should be as quiet as possible to use, so there is a minimal chance of disturbing the infant.